It’s a mad dash to the NBA Playoffs with two teams going in opposite directions on Tuesday night.
The Knicks line up with the Pelicans on Tuesday, where they’ve opened as sizeable 8.5-point favorites at Madison Square Garden.
New Orleans is among the worst teams in a loaded Western Conference, as the team has struggled to stay healthy and play competent basketball away from Smoothie King Arena.
The Pelicans have a pitiful 9-25 record on the road, while the Knicks sit at 26-9 at home, so this game screams blowout when looking at those two splits.
The Pelicans have played pretty well recently, however, perhaps giving the team some reason for optimism tonight.
Knicks vs. Pelicans prediction
The Pelicans are 6-4 in their last 10 games, with five of those wins coming at home (the one win on the road was against the 19-53 Kings).
The losses are against playoff-caliber teams: the Rockets, the Suns, the Lakers, and the Cavaliers, and are by a combined 18 points between the four games.
They’re playing teams close and are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games, tied for the best in the NBA with the Lakers.
New Orleans will have the benefit of two days’ rest in this matchup, and there are no reports that they will sit key guys on Tuesday, as there is little benefit to tanking, given they traded their unprotected first-round pick to the Hawks during the offseason.
We’re targeting the Pelicans +8.5, considering their strong play late in the season, which has them ranked No. 7 in the league in defensive rating over their last 10 games.
Expect the Pelicans to play hard-nosed, grind-it-out basketball that they have been doing in the last few weeks.
The Knicks’ defensive rating comes in at No. 5 over the same period, which also has me intrigued about betting on the under (233.5 total points).
PREDICTIONS: Pelicans +8.5 (-110, Kalshi) | Under 233.5 (-110 Kalshi)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.
